Field of the Invention
The invention relates to elevators, elevator allocation for a user, and an apparatus and a method for elevator allocation using a magnetic field map in an elevator system.
Description of the Related Art
Even in buildings with less than ten floors, the correct allocation of elevator cages, that is, elevator cars to serve elevator calls from different floors is essential for quick response time and reduced time spent in travelling in the elevator. The time spent in the elevator is dependent on the number of intermediate floors visited and the time the elevator cage doors are kept open. The problem is exacerbated in high rise buildings even though in high rise buildings the floors are usually serviced by short-distance and long-distance elevators so that only specific floors are accessible by the long-distance elevators. As is well known, elevator calls may be made from floors and from the elevator cages. An elevator call may be understood as a command for the elevator cage to visit a specific floor. In modern elevator systems a user of the elevator may specify for the elevator the destination floor when making the elevator call from a floor, that is, outside the elevator cage. Herein the term elevator may be used to refer to the elevator cage for simplicity. For improved elevator response time, it must be possible to minimize the time elevator cage door are kept open. Naturally, closing the doors when there are still incoming passengers and there is still room in the elevator cage is perceived as annoying. In present elevator systems the elevator users must come to a specific place where an elevator call keypad is located to make the elevator call. In many cases the keypad is directly in front of the elevators, but it may be also located some distance from the elevators.
In order to improve the service offered by an elevator system, it would be beneficial to be able to predict when an elevator user arrives at the elevators. It would also be beneficial to be able to determine the destination floor of the elevator user. In this way it would be possible to ensure that elevator doors are not kept open too long.